As a recording medium reproducing apparatus with a recording medium exchanger, a disk reproducing apparatus such as shown in FIG. 13 is known in which a magazine inserted with disks is externally loaded in the apparatus and a disk in the magazine is selected and reproduced.
In replacing a disk in the magazine of such a disk reproducing apparatus, disks are exchanged by picking up the magazine from the apparatus. If a disk in the magazine is being reproduced and another disk is to be inserted into the magazine at the place where the reproducing disk was inserted, the disks collide when the reproducing disk is placed back in the magazine. Therefore, dismounting the magazine is inhibited and replacing a disk in the magazine cannot be allowed during the reproduction.
Another problem is that the total cost of the apparatus rises because of an expensive magazine. Furthermore, even if only one disk in the apparatus is to be replaced, the magazine is required to be dismounted so that there is associated with a problem of a cumbersome disk exchange operation.
An example of a disk reproducing apparatus with a disk changer and without a magazine is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 4-38673 and shown in FIG. 14. A stocker shown in FIG. 14 has a plurality of carriers on which disks can be placed. The stocker is moved up and down by a stocker moving means so that a desired carrier is positioned at a height where the carrier is pulled out by a tray.
The tray moves between a load position shown in FIGS. 14(a) and 14(b) and an eject position shown in FIG. 14(c). As shown in FIG. 14(a), the carrier with a desired disk placed thereon is pulled out and placed on the tray at the load position, and as shown in FIG. 14(d), a reproducing means clamps the disk for the reproduction.
The tray with a desired disk placed thereon is moved from the position shown in FIG. 14(a) to the position shown in FIG. 14(c), the carrier on the tray is exposed outside of the housing so that the disk on the carrier can be replaced or a new disk can be placed on the carrier. The tray with a carrier placed thereon is moved from the position shown in FIG. 14(c) to the position shown in FIG. 14(a), and the carrier on the tray is placed back in the stocker. In this manner, disk exchange or insertion of a disk into the apparatus can be performed.
With such disk reproducing apparatus, a disk is moved to a reproduction position or to the outside by a transport means for transporting a carrier in one direction. The carrier with a disk placed thereon is moved from the stocker to the outside via the reproduction position. There is therefore a problem that disks cannot be exchanged during the reproduction. A user often determines the disk to be next reproduced, during the reproduction of a current disk. There is a strong need of exchanging or adding disks during the reproduction if the apparatus does not contain a disk to be next reproduced.